Pastel Holiday Party

Pastel Holiday Party from Layla Grayce Design, styling and photography: Kate Landers

Kate Landers here again, excited to share with you lovely pastel holiday inspiration. It probably comes as no surprise that I love pale colors, and integrating them into holiday baking, decorating and crafting brings beautiful results.

Here are five tips to incorporate pastels into your holiday projects and gatherings.

1. Pastel Holiday Baking: No need to run out and purchase new cookie cutters! Keep those traditional holiday shapes, and decorate them with pastel icing or fondant. I loved the idea of pastel tree, sleigh and snow globe cookies. Cupcakes and petits fours alike are sweetly festive with pale green and pink shimmering fondant holly on top. Sugar crystals give a sparkling frosty snow effect to snowflake cookies, and edible gold paint takes pink French macarons from ordinary to extraordinary. Pale pink edible poinsettias with gold centers decorate individual size cakes and make a stunning dessert for your guests at a holiday party.

Candy is a favorite this time of year, and displaying pastel color candy in clear apothecary jars can double as decoration and dessert. Just have a little wooden candy scoops and food-safe goody bags handy for guests to take some home after a visit. I like using medium basic white paper favor bags, folded at the top and sealed with gold glitter tape so no stray candy leaves a mess in their car.

2. Pastel Party Décor: Beautifully wrapped packages in pastel colors is a quick an easy way to decorate your home in your soft color palette. Packages aren’t just for under the tree; they make lovely centerpieces and decorations in entryways, on end tables, and in any corner that needs a festive touch.

Creating a white pom pom wreath with large double-faced satin pink bow is lovely above a mantle, and coordinating yarn-wrapped Styrofoam “trees” complete the look all across your mantle.

3. Pastel Holiday Gifts: Surprise your friends, neighbors, guests (and even your postal carrier or dog walker) with a beautiful pink box full of your pastel baked goods. Tie up with gold baker’s twine or ribbon and attach a label with a sweet holiday sentiment. With all the red and green out there (which I also love!), it surely will stand out from the crowd.

4. Pastel Tabletop: White table linens, cake plates and china are all fantastic investments for your home. Adding a simple pale pink ruffled table runner as I did here can be a wonderful way to add a hint of soft color, and can be used for Valentine’s Day, Easter and Mother’s Day too! Consider it your next great investment piece.

5. Pastel Party Goods: You can take ordinary clear plastic milk bottles and dress them up for the occasion with custom printed labels, paper straws and a little twirl of baker’s twine. Serve eggnog for a pale creamy look, or consider strawberry milk for children and sparkling fruit juices for grown ups.

Tissue paper fans in pale pink and white create a pastel winter wonderland, and pink baker’s twine is a staple in my home for baking, crafting and decorating alike. Find resources for products mentioned above in vendor credit list below.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the beauty of the season. Cheers!

VENDOR CREDITS